Straight Talk: I-81 Local Hire NOW Campaign
OEI is a proud member of the Urban Jobs Task Force (UJTF), who began a campaign for Racial and Economic Justice through local jobs on I-81 in 2017. For years, UJTF and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) have been getting prepared to turnout the community for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) public comment period. The time for announcement of this comment period is upon us and could happen any day now!
To get involved:
1. Get informed on how & when you can help by completing and sharing DEIS action alert sign-up
2. Donate to the DEIS community reactivation coalition – all funds raised for t-shirts to be worn to the DEIS hearing, public outreach materials, mass alert software, and transportation to the hearing if needed
UJTF has three areas of focus around justice on this project: racial, economic, and environmental:
• protect the community during construction – ensuring the benefits and the burdens of construction are equally distributed
• demand direct pathways to I-81 jobs for Syracuse residents and people of color
• demanding that 8 acres of land at MLK Blvd be put into a land trust controlled by the surrounding community